Themes of Madness in Hamlet

Themes of Madness in crossroadsTo be or non to be begins virtuoso of the near famous soliloquies of every(prenominal) duration by an author that has stood the test of time, William Shakespe are in his turn, crossroads. There are some(prenominal) different themes that are relayed within critical points account. These themes entangle remnant, regression, and betrayal, completely of which contri promotee in some manner to encourage sm entirely towns unwiseness. In every theme, the audience faecal matter connect on a commonplace level twain back in the day and in contemporaneous times as final stage, obsession and betrayal are common entities, thoroughly known today and will continue to be known and understand until the end of time. There are m either overlapping themes that all relate back to crossroadss indulgence, specifically including death, obsession, and betrayal.Nature of HamletThe underlying theme of madness is re recorded quite often in the play. In the play, Hamlet exhibits a puzzling nature. Hamlet contradicts himself throughtaboo divulge the play. He endorses both of the virtues of performing a mathematical function and being true to ones self. He further supports both of these conflicting endorsements with his work asideions. This ambiguity is demonstrated by his alleged madness, for he does get along madly, besides to become perfectly calm and rational an instant later. These inconsistencies are related with the internal dilemmas he faces. He struggles with the issue of r heretoforeging his set outs death, vowing to bug out Claudius and accordingly bac poof out, several times.In the offset printing act Hamlet appears to be very straightforward in his natural actions and inner state. When headered by Gertrude near his regret appearance Hamlet says, Seems, madam? Nay it is. I know non seems (1.2.76). This is to say I am what I appear to be. later(prenominal) he makes a clear statement about his state when he comm its himself to revenge. In this statement the play makes an easy to follow shift. This shift consists of Hamlet tolerant up the role of a student and mourning son. Hamlet says,Ill track away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live deep down the book and volume of my brain (1.5.99103) Hamlet is declaring that he will be committed to nonhing else barely the revenge of his fathers death.ConvictionWhen Hamlet appears once again in act two, it seems that he has lost the conviction that was present earlier. He has yet to take up the part assigned to him by the nuance. He spends the act walking around, reading, blabbering with Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and the players. It is not until the very end of the act that he even mentions vengeance. If he had any of the conviction shown earlier he would be presently working on his vengeance. So kind of of play ing the part of vengeful son, or dropping the issue entirely, he hangs out in the middle, pretending to be mad. This is shown when he says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern I know notlost all my mirth, foregone all custom of exercise (2.2.298299). subsequently he tells them that he is just feigning madness when he says, I am but mad northnorthwest, when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw (2.2.380381). Admitting so blatantly that he is only feigning madness would imply that he is well-provided with it. He also seems to be generally comfortable with acting. This is endorsed when he says, there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so (2.2.251252). Hamlet is saying that behavior shapes unfeignedity. Hamlet is prompted to vengeance, again, by the moving reprimand that is given by one of the players. About this speech he says,Whats Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, That he should weep for her? What would he do Had he motive and cue for passion, That I re quire? (2.2.561564) In this panegyric of this players dexterity to act, Hamlet is saying that if he were such an participant he would suffer killed Claudius by now. This link between vengeance and acting that is present here is what Hamlet struggles with until very near the end.When Hamlet is advising the player on how his lines should be read he says, Suit the action to the word, the word to the action (3.2.1718). If Hamlet would follow his own advice he would not have a conflict. This shows that he is not consistent within himself. Hamlet is saying one should not distinguish between word and actions, but he does retain this separation. Yet when Hamlet speaks with Horatio he praises him for being objective, levelheaded, and for having a consistent character. He is praising Horatio for being true to himself, not being an actor. Hamlet says,Give me that man, That is not passions slave, and I will wear him, In my midriffs core, ay, in my heart of heart, As I do thee. (3.2.6972)H amlet is saying this because he wants Horatio to mention the King at the play. He is unsure of his uncles guilt, and he wants proof. He wants it from psyche who he thinks is honest throughout. It comes back to acting and vengeance or in this case he has failed in his vengeance and needs Horatio to agree with him. Hamlet says to Horatio, Observe mine uncle. If his occulted guilt, Do not itself unkernnel in one speech, It is a dammed go we have seen, (3.2.7780) Proof, however, does not have any thing to do with the role Hamlet is supposed to play, but there is more to it than that. The arouse thing is that his uncle will be judged by how he acts during the play. If the King is a good actor, and does not show his guilt, he will most credibly not be killed. However, the King is not a good actor and when he rises Hamlet responds with, What, frighten with false fire? (3.2.254). Its as if Hamlet is saying its only a play, its not real. He does say something to this military group a f ew lines before. Your majesty, and we that have free persons, it touches us not (3.2.229230). This new proof drives Hamlet to use more words. He is again to talk of killing, and he says, Now I could drink hot blood (3.2.379). He again associates this with a role, that of Nero. The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom (3.2.383). Later Hamlet again talks himself out of character and does not kill the King. He puts it off until later and says, When he is drunk a rest, or in his rage, At gaming, swearing, or about some act, That has no relish of redemption in it, Then trip him that his heels may kick at heaven, And that his soul may be dammed and black (3.3.8994)DeathHamlet frequently thinks about suicide throughout the course of the play. Hamlets perspective on his look can be seen in his To be or not to be speech. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them. To die, to sl eep- No more, and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks is only the etymon of his verse (3.1.59-64). By mentioning the legal opinions of suffering the slings and arrows that are naturally lifes tribulations, followed by the thoughtfulness of facing a sea of troubles by living, it is apparent that he desires to assure death. Hamlet hopes to avoid and not to be subjected to inevitable heartache that is just part of life, and by appetiteing to not have to tolerate pain, exhibits his bid to die. At the end, Hamlet has apparently make the decision that he would quite an die, but if, and only if he were not afraid of what would come aft(prenominal) death. In a manner of speaking, this also reflected Hamlets depression in that he would constantly think about death. He was melancholy to say the least. The question remains as to whether or not this is madness. In truth, it is possible that because he contemplates suicide in a very real way, it could possibly be thought of as madness as it is not a thought that any normal person would ever have. Instead, a normal exclusive may see issues in life that need to be dealt with sort of of run away from which may have been what Hamlet was doing. Madness surrounds this porta of death because most mortals will never unfeignedly contemplate taking their own life in any normal circumstances. In any event, Hamlets uncertainty is also what drives Hamlets obsessions, which revolve around the betrayal leading to the death of his father.Obsession and BetrayalHamlets obsession revolves around the betrayal his family has faced at the hands of his uncle. Despite the particular that Hamlet appears to have been given evidence that his uncle did, as a matter of fact, murder his father, it seems as though this so-called evidence is obviously not enough for Hamlet to be perfectly certain. Where wilt though lead me? Speak Ill go no further Hamlet begins in Scene V (Shakespeare) Although this s tatement may be perceived as Hamlet endeavouring to stand his ground in search for answers as to what is happening, the other side of this could also be that he is somewhat afraid of the specter that is standing in front of him. During Shakespeares time period, worship of ghosts was not unusual because it was believed that ghosts did and then exist as a way of explaining sometimes what seemed to be supernatural things. The ghost of Shakespeares Hamlet first appears in Act I and reveals truths to Hamlet, one of which is admitting that he is Hamlets murdered father. A conversation takes place between Hamlet and the ghost of his dead father where the ghost openly accuses Claudius, Hamlets uncle, of having been the murderer by stating that The serpent that did sting thy fathers life Now wears his crown (1.5.39-40). If the ghost is indeed Hamlets father and is to be believed, theoretically, the ghosts care should be all of the proof that Hamlet needs, yet he continually searches for proof, all the objet dart replacing normal joys with his obsession to know the rank(a) truth behind the betrayal the resulted in the death of his belove father. Eventually, his obsession with his fathers death gets reinforced by an increase in separation from his family as well as his loved ones. entirely seeing a ghost raises questions of madness because reality says that there are no such things as ghosts, but yet, people still claim to see ghosts. In this finical case, it can be thought that Hamlet descended into madness even further as he attempted to come to terms with several factors that encircled this particular event in the play. The first factor that truly stands out is the fact that Hamlet sees a ghost period. Not too many people will see such things unless they are possibly clinically and intellectually disturbed. That is the first implication that signals Hamlets madness. It continues even as others see what Hamlet sees. Even Hamlets friends, Horatio and Marcellus , see him after Hamlet has seen his fathers ghost. Hamlet truly wants resolve for the loss of his father and as such, urgently wants assurances as to what has been witnessed from his friends perspectives. While his friends fear the ghost, Hamlet feels as though he must go in effect for the ghost to talk to him. Is it madness that drives him to go forth and attempt to communicate with the ghost? Honestly, it can be looked at from either perspective. Simply believe that an individual can even talk to a ghost is somewhat disturbing. There would have to be some assort of moral illness or blockage there to believe that he truly was talking to his fathers ghost. At the same time, maybe it was not madness as it could have been because there are many different ways that an individual square offs to cope with what they are dealing with. In this case, Hamlet must learn to deal with the loss of his father and perhaps seeing something same a specter is in fact his coping mechanism. That c annot possibly be healthy, but for lack of better explanation, at least it is a way to cope. On the other hand, it can even be questioned as to whether or not he may instead be experiencing a true mental illness like schizophrenia. The only reason that can be tossed out the window as an option is because his friends also see the ghost even if they are unaware as to who or what it is supposed to stand for. too considering the fact that the only person that the ghost talks to is Hamlet, it would seem that perhaps this was also because Hamlet was the only one willing to see and talk to the ghost. Perhaps that is also a sign of madness as he allowed himself to communicate with someone that really should not exist in any real scientific manner. Since Hamlet seemed to be far past the mentation true sanity, it would further seem that his talking to a ghost would simply add to the madness that is Hamlet.As the play progresses, Hamlet has become break out emotionally from his family and t he woman he once proclaimed to love, Ophelia. He would quite an push Ophelia away and encourage her to go to a nunnery because of the way he has come to view women in general. He goes on to tell her that he loved her once, only to say that Ophelia should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not (3.1.119-121). How hurtful that was to the fair Ophelia and did nothing but make her wish for the Hamlet she once knew. Clinical depression exhibits withdrawal from loved ones, as Hamlet has done here with Ophelia. Hamlet even finds it necessary to be vulgar towards Ophelia as it would have been impossible for him to continue to love her while simultaneously attempting to visit Hamlet pulled away from the woman he had once proclaimed to love and still continued to contemplate his fathers death as well as his own.The death of Hamlets father is also reflective of the types of plays that were pen of the time which were moral ity plays. The play contains many elements that are reminiscent of the swarthy Ages such as the idea of the nation being diseased like a physical being which reminds the audience of the plague that had run rearing during medieval times. It is interesting that the health of the res publica and the well-being of the family are so closely related in such a manner that the country really reflects the family. This brings forth the dark ages to the audience because the people held the royal family more often than not responsible for the plague and felt as though the royal family could have done more for the people as opposed to simply acquiring away. Denmark is constantly described as a physical person that has been made ill by the moral corruption within the family. In theme Hamlet, Shakespeare wrote what was common for that time which was a morality play. Clearly, morality played a significant part in the entire piece as Hamlet struggled with the idea of death. After the kings deat h, Hamlet is obsessed with death and looks at death from several different points of view. Then again, death was a common share of life during the dark ages what with the plague having run its course through Europe. With all of the surrounding destruction, contemplating death was normal, but for Hamlet, it took a slightly different twist. original Madness or Not?Some might argue that Hamlets madness was real or not, but in truth, it was a truly smutty time in Hamlets life. His father had passed away and his uncle had just married his widow mother. This was then followed by the appearance of the ghost of his dead father with operating instructions for revenge, and then as if that were not enough, Ophelias father had made it impossible for Hamlet to see her. It is no wonder that Hamlet had episodes of madness throughout the play and appeared to lose touch with reality a number of times. In all reality, Hamlet never fully lost touch with reality and as such did eventually stop exhibi ting his insanity after his argument with Laertes in the graveyard. Even in considering the revenge that was plotted against Claudius required some sort of reality hold in order to plan something effectively for it to really work. Once Hamlet saw his ghost of a father, his sole point in life was to un blot out the truth about the matter and avenge his father should it be deemed necessary. From that perspective, madness seemed to be the perfect vessel to wangle the way that the people worked around him. In fact, madness allowed him to confuse Polonius into believing that Ophelia was the root of his madness so much in fact that Polonius went to the king and queen who also seem inclined to believe that Ophelia could in fact be the cause of Hamlets madness. For Hamlet to carry this on effectively, he would have had to retain some sort of connection to reality in order to manipulate those that would otherwise doubt whether or not he actually knew what he was talking about. Hamlet was a brilliant man indeedFinal ThoughtsIt would seem that being a good actor is predominate to survival in this play. Polonius could not stick to the role of adviser and was trying to convince the King that Hamlet was in love with his daughter. This leads him to spy on Hamlet, and because he could not do that right either, is killed. Ophelia could not handle the role of mourning for her father, goes mad and dies as a result. The King could not cover up his guilt, so Hamlet has the proof he needs to backbone him on. Overall, Hamlet, who if he would have acted as the ghost instructed him to in the first place, instead of flip flopping around, would have killed Claudius outright. Had Hamlet been truly comfortable with acting, Claudius would have been the only causality.Depending on how Hamlet is examined, it would appear that there are both real and not quite so real bouts of madness. Given the time in his life, it would be more likely that Hamlet would in fact be a victim of madness wh ile still retaining some of his ability to keep in touch with reality to some extent. This attachment is what kept Hamlet from going entirely over the edge, but ultimately, his madness is what caused the story to take the path that it did because his madness led to his obsession which bled over into several different other themes within the play.